By Chairperson Oh Se
Copyright chosun
Convenience store Emart24 said on the 28th that it will enter Laos. It appears to be accelerating its push to expand in the global market.
According to Emart24, on the 25th, Emart24 and KOLAO Group signed a master franchise (MF, a franchise model that grants an intermediate franchisee the right to sell store operating rights to prospective franchisees) agreement in the main conference room at KOLAO Group’s headquarters in Vientiane, Laos. KOLAO Group was founded by Chairperson Oh Se-young, a Korean national, and is known as the largest private company operating in Laos.
Emart24 plans to sequentially convert more than 50 KOLAO Group–operated convenience stores under the name “KOK KOK MONI” into Emart24 stores while also opening new locations. Emart24 currently operates seven stores in Cambodia, which borders Laos, 102 in Malaysia, and one in India.
In particular, Emart24 assessed that, as K-culture’s influence grows among younger generations in Laos, convenience stores where customers can experience K-food, K-content, and K-beauty both directly and indirectly will draw strong interest. Emart24 CEO Choi Jin-il said, “It is meaningful that Emart24 was the first convenience store chain to enter Cambodia, India, and Laos,” adding, “We expect to contribute to expanding exports of PL (private label) products and opening export channels for small and midsize companies in Korea.”
